


Through The Fog

by MarcelinaRose



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Human Zack, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Past Sefikura, Vampire Bites, Vampire Cloud, Vampire Tifa, don't ask why i like power bottom cloud i just do, i saw vampire zack in another fic so i wanted to write vampire cloud, might expand on this in the future who knows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:41:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27215104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarcelinaRose/pseuds/MarcelinaRose
Summary: Finding himself lost on his way back to Gongaga, Zack Fair stumbles upon the mysterious town of Nibelheim. There, he spends the night at the luxurious Nibelheim Manor that sat on the edge of town owned by a pair of strange siblings. Zack soon figures out exactly what the deal is and realizes too late that he's in the clutches of a vampire.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Comments: 4
Kudos: 44





	Through The Fog

No matter how much Zack squinted his eyes, it didn’t help his vision see through the thick fog surrounding him. One hand was attempting to keep the hood pulled over his head from the drizzle of rain above him. The other was clutching onto the reins of the white chocobo chirping next to him. It blinked in confusion, wondering where they were or where they were even going. The unsettling silence around them was already enough to put them on edge.

Zack was almost confident he didn’t make a wrong turn on the road, but he might as well have in this weather. Nothing he saw looked familiar to him, and there wasn’t a single soul or sign around to give him a clue. He attempted to follow the road in front of him to the best of his ability, guiding the animal to step behind him deeper into the fog.

Zack didn’t know if he was seeing things. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn’t. But he swore he saw a faint light a few yards away, a few of them, in fact. He blinked to make sure they weren’t illusions. The closer he got, the more lights he saw. Lights meant he was approaching a town. He spotted a silhouette looming above them then realized it was an archway. The soot and dirt covering it made the wood look older than it was. Zack couldn’t read the words etched in the sign very well, but they seemed to spell out a word: _Nibelheim_. He lifted an eyebrow. It didn’t seem to be a town he’s familiar with, and he never recalled seeing it on a map before. But to him, it was still a town, a town where he could get directions and stay for the night.

The chocobo ruffled its feathers with a light squawk. Zack petted it with a gentle hand and pulled it through the arch. Compared to the woods and mountains surrounding it, the fog was thinner in the town, making it easier for Zack to see his surroundings. There were a few houses and shops that circled around a plaza. There was a large well in the center of the plaza that was taller than the houses. The emptiness only made the atmosphere almost too eerie for Zack’s comfort. He swallowed the lump in his throat at the wind that blew through his clothes. He shuddered, rubbing one of his arms as the creaking of a wooden sign reached his ears. Glancing over to his left, he saw the words “Inn” in bold black letters. Zack breathed out in relief and rushed over towards the doors. The chocobo whined in response, and Zack petted its beak. “It’ll only take a second.”

When Zack pulled open the door, the lobby was dark. The only light was coming from the lamp sitting on the front desk, giving enough vision for the woman behind the counter to see what she was doing. She was an elderly woman with strands of her hair falling in front of her sunken eyes. At the sound of the bell, she lifted her face, and Zack noticed the blank gaze she held, almost as the light had been sucked out of it. “We’re filled up for the night, dear. I’m sorry.”

“I shouldn’t be surprised,” Zack scratched the back of his head. “But, is there anywhere else I can stay for the night?”

“This is the only inn in town,” The woman replied, lowering her head for just a moment. “Perhaps they can help you.”

“They?”

“The owners of Nibelheim Manor,” The woman pointed a bony finger towards the window next to the desk. “It’s up on the hill on the left of the mountain passage. You can’t miss it, dear.”

“And you think they’ll help me find a place to stay?”

“I’m positive they will.”

Zack ignored how creepy the woman’s smile was and waved at her. “Thank you, ma’am.”

His chocobo was frightened out of its skull when he exited the building. Zack rushed over and attempted to calm him down. He scratched under the bird’s chin until he heard little chirps, and he didn’t pull his hand away until he got a nuzzle. “We got a place tonight, so you don’t have to worry anymore.” The chocobo tilted its head.

As Zack walked passed the houses and shops, he spotted the building on a hill that was a few ways away from the rest of the town. When he saw the mountain path, he knew that was the mansion the Innkeeper spoke of. He had to wonder what the owners were like. If they were as nice as she said, he could only expect good things. But what were they going to think of him? Would they really take in a stranger they’ve never seen before?

Before he knew it, he was knocking on the front doors. Another shiver went through him, and he pulled his jacket over himself. He shrugged at the chocobo with a lifted eyebrow.

One of the doors slowly opened. On the other side revealed a young man around Zack’s age. He had soft features with freckles littered across his nose. The spikes he wore were the color of the sun, the brightest shade Zack had ever seen, and his eyes sparkled with a beautiful shade of teal. Zack could feel heat rising in his cheeks. He couldn’t describe the feeling in his chest upon seeing this man. The light from inside the manor made it look like he was glowing despite his pale complexion. Even though they were around the same age, the man was almost a whole head shorter than Zack, staring up at him with a curious look in his eyes. But there was something else Zack caught: a look of excitement.

“May I help you?”

The man’s voice held a soft tone and was smooth as honey to Zack’s ears. He scratched the back of his head. “Um, the Innkeeper said you could help me find a place to stay for the night.”

“Oh, are you a traveler?” The man’s tone sounded almost too enthusiastic.

“I was on my way back to my hometown before I got caught in this fog,” Zack laughed. “Then I stumbled here.”

“I see. You’re welcome to stay here,” He pointed to a smaller structure on his right. “Your chocobo can stay in the stables.”

“See? Told you we’d get a place to stay.” Zack grinned at the bird who only let out a soft shrill. He turned back to the man at the door. “Thank you so much.”

“No need.” He shook his head with a smile.

Despite the thanks, there was an itching feeling in the back of Zack’s skull as he led the chocobo to the small stable. The other man was leaning against the doorway with a gaze Zack could feel in his very core. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see exactly what kind of look he was being given. It was a look of hunger as if Zack was being seen as prey, and for a second, he swore there was a flash of red hidden in those teal hues. Zack’s stomach dropped. He started to think staying with the younger man was a bad idea. But he already took the offer, and he didn’t want to be rude by changing his mind.

The chocobo chirped at him again, and Zack had half the mind to believe he was asking him to stay. “I’ll be okay, bud. I’ll see you in the morning.” The chocobo whined as he closed the door behind him.

Zack was gestured into the hall, and the door closed with a quiet lock behind him. He pulled the hood off of his head, letting his own wild nest of spikes breathe. He jumped in surprise at the hands tugging at his shoulders, turning his head to see the man attempt to pull off his jacket. “What’s your name?”

“It’s Zack. Zack Fair.”

“Zack Fair. . .” The young man said it as if he was testing how it sounded coming out of his mouth. “That’s a nice name.”

“And yours?”

“Cloud Strife, Mr. Fair.” The young man folded his jacket over one of his arms.

Cloud. That was a pretty name. Almost suited him too. Zack felt he could draw little clouds by connecting the freckles on his face. Zack’s cheeks went pink at the thought.

“And who do we have here?”

The two heard a feminine voice from the stairs. Zack turned to see a ravenette woman with her hand on the railing. Her ruby gaze was staring intently at the two of them as her other hand was placed against her hip. She had more color on her cheeks than Cloud, although Zack wasn’t sure if it was makeup or not. He had to guess it was a mix of both.

“Allow me to introduce the other owner of Nibelheim Manor,” Cloud gestured to the woman with a smile. “This is my sister, Tifa Lockhart.”

Zack had to lift an eyebrow. His gaze shifted between the two of them. There wasn’t a trace of resemblance between them. He wanted to assume both took after one parent, but he knew there was at least a semblance of the other parent however miniscule it was. There was nothing of the sort with Cloud and Tifa. There was a chance they were adopted, but Zack wouldn’t know.

He masked his confusion with a sheepish grin. “Sorry to barge in like this.”

“It’s no problem,” Tifa shook her head. “What kind of people would we be if we left someone out in the dark? Oh, would you like to join us for dinner?”

“Is that okay?”

“We can’t invite you in and not let you eat with us.” Cloud hooked their arms together.

He did have a point, and Zack couldn’t ignore the growl erupting from his stomach. He didn’t know how long he was on the road, and he knew for a fact the snacks he’d been carrying were long gone, already eaten hours before. Zack would have to be crazy to turn down the offer, so he nodded, his cheeks turning pink again because of how close Cloud was leaning against him.

Tifa smiled, leading the traveler down the hall to the left towards a small dining hall. The table was already set with three plates covered with food, something Zack found strange but he wasn’t going to question it. He quickly took the nearest seat, his mouth practically drooling at the steaming food in front of him. Cloud chuckled from his left. “Go ahead and dig in. We can’t eat all of this ourselves.”

“If you say so.” Zack grabbed the nearest utensils and dug it into the steak taking up most of the plate. The taste melted in his mouth as if he hadn’t had a decent meal in weeks. Zack moaned in delight, ignoring the looks he received as he continued to devour the food in front of him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Tifa raise a glass to her lips, and if he didn’t look twice, he wouldn’t think anything of it. But the liquid in the glass didn’t look like wine.

She noticed his gaze and set the glass back on the table. “Is something the matter?”

“O-Oh, no.” Zack shook his head, only eating half of the plate but feeling full already. For some reason, his eyelids started feeling heavy. “I was wondering what drink that was. Is it wine?”

Cloud and Tifa shared a glance before Cloud turned to the other man with a smile. He brought his own half-filled glass to his lips. “It’s a special brand of wine only made in Nibelheim. We don’t distribute it because of how special it is to us.”

That wasn’t the answer Zack wanted nor the one he was expecting. It sounded like an excuse to hide something. But he didn’t want to be suspicious of the two; it was their house, after all. Zack had to stop his head from drooping, the fatigue slowly catching up to him. He rubbed one of his eyes, but the two in front of him continued their drinks as if they didn’t notice. He shook his head to keep himself awake, but that only made it worse. The last thing he saw before blacking out was a glint of red in Cloud’s eyes.

* * *

Zack came to much later. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been out, but he knew he wasn’t in the dining hall. He was on something soft and warm, something that made him sink in bliss. And whatever was on top of him was making him sink more. Zack groaned as his eyes fluttered open only to see that same crimson gaze from Cloud’s eyes.

Zack didn’t know why he didn’t run away or even move at that. It was like his body was frozen in place despite the terror going through him. There was a happy grin on Cloud’s face, tilting his head as their gazes met.

“You haven’t been like this since Sephiroth,” Tifa’s voice was heard from the door. “I’ll admit. It’s a bit off-putting that it’s a human this time.”

“But he’s special, Tif.” Cloud lowered himself to where he was laying on Zack’s chest, swinging his legs in the air with a sigh. “He’s more than just a meal.”

“I believe you,” Tifa giggled and turned on her heel. “Do what you want.”

Zack heard her footsteps fade with each click of her heels, and the door closed behind her the second she entered the hall. He groaned again, blinking a few times to fully wake himself up. But he still couldn’t move, nor could he talk. He felt Cloud nuzzle him. “I won’t hurt you,” He muttered softly. “The paralysis will start wearing off in a bit. I just want to be like this for a little longer before you run.”

Zack thought back to what Angeal told him before he left. Something about a ghost town that travelers wander off to and disappear, and the inhabitants of that ghost town being anything but human. Zack hadn’t heard many stories from Gongaga, but he remembered Angeal mentioning creatures that feed off of humans, but it wasn’t clear if those creatures and the ghost town were connected. It clicked for him that he ran into the very trap Angeal warned him about; he was in the clutches of a vampire.

A part of him didn’t want to believe Cloud was a vampire. Sure, he had pale skin, but he wasn’t cold. He wasn’t hissing and didn’t have sharp claws. But it would explain why the “wine” looked eerily similar to blood. Zack had to wonder what would happen to him. Would he be killed? Would he be kept trapped here as a food source, or would he be allowed to leave? How many people were killed before he arrived?

“Since I have you like this, it would be a waste to not know what you taste like.” Cloud lifted his head, the red still in his eyes as he parted his lips to reveal a pair of fangs Zack wished were canines. A gentle hand cupped his chin and tilted his head up. Cloud had this look in his eye Zack couldn’t quite make out, but it confused him. There was no malice in his eyes or any evil intent for that matter. His eyes held softness and comfort as if to tell Zack there was nothing to be worried about.

If Zack didn’t think he was cute, he would be more terrified than he was.

Soon enough, there was a pair of lips pressed against his pulse point, lingering for a moment before something wet swiped against his skin. Fingers played with his hairline, and Zack felt feathery kisses on his neck. That was the last warning he got before a sharp pain erupted from that same spot. Zack jolted at the jab in his skin, a trickle of blood soon running to his shoulder. The hand that was playing with his hairline began to pet him soothingly until the pain began to numb. It started to feel. . . amazing as if whatever pain was there was swallowed by a sudden ecstasy. Zack shuddered, his lips parted with light breaths spilling from them. Some of his fingers started to get their feeling back.

Cloud moaned on top of him and his other hand was spread across Zack’s stomach, grabbing fistfuls of shirt and tugging on the fabric. His knees caged Zack’s hips, digging into his sides with a shudder. When he unhinged his jaw, Zack saw a trickle of red on the corner of his mouth and a look in his eyes that can only be described as arousal. “Whoa. . .” He sounded out of breath. “You taste really good, like _really_ good.” His cheeks matched the color in his eyes, and Zack saw his face moving closer to his own. “Do you mind if. . .” Cloud gulped. “I get another bite?”

Something must have snapped inside him because almost instantly, Zack lunged forward, grabbing the back of Cloud’s head as he slammed their lips together. Cloud blinked in surprise before enthusiastically returning the kiss and grabbing Zack’s face. Zack’s other hand was wrapped around his waist and held him tighter as the kiss deepened between them.

Zack pulled back first, but their lips were still brushed together. Cloud was seated firmly in his lap with his arms around his neck. The lust was still in his eyes, and it only sent sparks flaring in Zack’s chest. He bit the corner of his lip. “I’ve. . . actually never done this before.”

Cloud’s gaze softened and he pressed himself closer. “That’s okay. Just follow my lead.”

Zack gave a slow nod before their lips connected again, and he was promptly pushed back onto the bed.

Zack should have been fighting. He should have left once he thought something was wrong. He should have ran once he found out the man on top of him was a vampire who fed from him not even five minutes ago. But there was a warm feeling in his gut telling him to stay, telling him that despite the feeding, Cloud wouldn’t hurt him, telling him he would be safe until he was able to go home.

Zack was content to stay there a little longer. At least until morning came.

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a vamp!Zack fic so I wanted to write it the other way around. Let me know if you want me to expand on this because I'm feeling kinda proud. Happy Halloween, everyone!
> 
> Edit: Well, I guess the people have spoken. Give me a few weeks to get all of these assignments done first.
> 
> Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcelinaRose15  
> My asks are open: http://marcigray.tumblr.com/


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